Crane mounted loom cleaner with synchronized oscillation



Sheet of 4 Jan- 2l, 1969 R. L. BLACK, JR

CRANE MOUNTED LOOM CLEANER WITH SYNCHRONIZED OSCILLATION Filed Aug. 23, 1966 ROBERT L. BLAUSIR 1 TIL .ILIU Lili T-- Jan. 21, 1969 R. l.. BLACK, JR 3,422,481

CRANE MOUNTED LOOM CLEANER WITH SYNCHRONIZED OSCILLATION Filed Aug. 2s. 1966 sheet g of 4 INVENTORI ROBERT LBL/wxga.

ATTORNEYS CRANE MOUNTED LOOM CLEANER WITH SYNCHRONIZED OSCILLATION Filed Aug. 23. 1966 Jan. 2l, 1969 R. l.. BLACK, JR

Shee'cl 3 of .R1 K C A L B L T 2 E 3.,. 0.... E

R. L. BLACK, .1R 3,422,481

CRANE MOUNTED LOOM CLEANER WITH SYNCHRONIZED OSCILLATION Jan. 21, i969 Sheet Filed Aug. 23, 1966 ROBET L. BLACKJR. BYMJ/JJKM/M fob:

ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,422,481 CRANE MOUNTED LOOM CLEANER WITH SYNCHRNIZED OSCILLATIN Robert L. Black, Jr., Charlotte, N.C., assigner to Parks- Cramer Company, Fitchburg, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Aug. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 574,443 U.S. Cl. -312 Int. Cl. A471 5/38; B081) 5 /04 `Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for removing lint from looms, in which a plurality of blowing-air units, provided with respective downwardly directed outlets, are carried by a bridge and travel forwardly and rearwardly in alternation above and along respective rows of looms therebeneath, and wherein means are provided for oscillating the outlets of at least those blowing-air units above an adjacent pair of t This invention relates to apparatus for periodically removing lint from looms and from areas adjacent the looms. Such removal is essential to efcient functioning of the looms over extended periods of time.

A typical weaving mill layout includes a large number of looms arranged in sections, or bays, of a weave room. The looms are arranged in several substantially parallel rows extending lengthwise of the bay, and spaced apart across the bay by intervening aisles.

Proper cleaning requires periodic removal of lint from critical areas of the looms as a prime requisite. However, it is also necessary to periodically remove 1in-t from the weave room ceiling. Otherwise, excess accumulation of lint on the ceiling will eventually drop back onto the looms below, creating new problems. Moreover, a major portion of the lint removed from the looms and from the ceiling eventually nds its way onto the floor beneath and between the rows of looms. Lint accumulating on the door creates an undesirable dirty condition and may be caused to boil-up movement of personnel, equipment an-d air from cleaners so as to resettle on critical areas of the loom. It is therefore desirable that lint be periodically removed from the floor as well as from the ceiling and loom parts.

Traveling blowing cleaners for single rows of looms are illustrated in Miller et al. Patent No. 2,798,825, and in Holtzclaw Patent No. 2,695,039. Crane mounted loom cleaners for one or more rows of looms are illustrated in Miller et at. Patent No. 2,812,251. As the art developed commercially, the outlets for cleaners of some of the foregoing types were extended somewhat closer to the loom areas to be cleaned. As a result, the blowing air streams penetrating the looms and directed into the aisle space caused turbulence in the area of the oor, resulting in some lint boilingmp and settling on the looms. The boil-up problem is most pronounced where looms in adjacent rows are cleaned simultaneously with the air streams blowing in interfering directions, increasing the turbulence and resulting in boil-up. One proposal for 3,422,481 Patented Jan. 21, 1969 ICC dealing with the problem is found in Bahnson Patent No. 3,153,803 which calls `for cleaning only alternate rows of looms at a given time with non-oscillating blowing tubes. Such an arrangement has obvious limitations.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a crane mounted loom cleaner having a plurality of oscillating blowing outlets for cleaning adjacent rows of looms simultaneously and wherein the air streams are controlled to prevent their interference, thereby minimizing boil-ups.

It is another object of this invention to provide in a crane mounted loom cleaner of the aforesaid type, means for effectively cleaning ceiling areas above the looms.

It is still another object of this invention to provide in combination with a crane mounted loom cleaner of the type described, suction hoor-cleaning means, and means for coordinating the loom cleaning with the iloor cleaning for maximum eciency of each cleaning function.

The apparatus `devised to achieve these objects and other objects which will become clear heneinafter is described in brief summary as follows:

An overhead crane is provided above the rows of looms. The crane travels back and forth along the rows of looms, carrying with it a plurality of oscillatable blowing units linked together and driven so that their outlets oscillate in substantially synchronous, parallel in-phase relation, each unit `directing blowing air against looms in a particular row. The crane also carries suction sleeves and floor nozzles for picking up lint which settles on the floor in accordance with the teachings in Patent Numbers 3,053,700, 3,011,202, and 3,011,925. Because the oscillation of the outlets of lthose blowing units above adjacent loom rows is synchronous, with the outlets maintained in substantially parallel in-phase relation during the oscillation, the lint lblown from the looms is not subjected to substantial turbulence, as would be the case were air streams from different blowing units permitted to conilict, or interfere with each other. Accordingly, performance of the suction nozzles in cleaning the floor is improved by the provision of synchronous, in-phase oscillation of the blowing units.

Since the suction sleeves and blowing units travel together, it will be apparent that some of the lint blown from the looms will not have settled to the oor in time for pick up by the adjacent suction nozzles. To permit settling of the lint for more eflicient suction oor cleaning, means are provided to cut off, substantially reduce, or otherwise direct the blowing air periodically, erg., on alternate passes of the bridge. The cleaner includes means to utilize this diverted air from the blowing units 30I by directing it upwardly through a suitable outlet to effectively clean the ceiling. Thus, the cleaner includes three cleaning functions: loom cleaning, oor cleaning and ceiling cleaning, all coordinated for the most eflicient overall effect.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in wlhich:

FIG'URE 1 is a somewhat schematic top plan view, broken in length, of a section or bay of a textile weave room looking down on a crane-'mounted cleaner according to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevation, partly in section, taken along line 2 2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGUR-.E 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3 3 of FIGURE 2, and showing one embodiment of an oscillating drive for the Aoutlets of the air directing units;

FIGURE 4 is an isometric view, at increased scale, of a portion of FIGURE 3, viewed in the direction o-f arrow 4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE l5 is a sectional `view taken along line 5 5 of FIGURE 3, showing further details of the oscillating drive of FIGURES 3 and 4;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged elevation, partly in section, taken along line '6-6 0f FIGURE 5 and showing one 0f the ceiling cleaning ducts and a damper for controlling air ow;

FIGURE 7 is a side view of the elements shown in FIGURE 6, lookin-g from the right of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is an isometric vie-w, similar to FIGURE 4, of a modified oscillating drive for the pendant air directing units (not shown); and

FIGURE 9 is a schematic wiring diagram of the electrical circuit of the apparatus.

Turning first to FIGURES l and 2, a plurality of looms 10 are shown arranged in a typical manner on a supportin floor F in a section, or bay, of a textile weave room. Looms 10 are arran-ged in plural substantially parallel rows 11, 12, 13 and 14, extending lengthwise of the bay (top to bottom of FIGURE l). Rows 11-14 are spaced apart by intervening aisles 15, 16 and 17. Aisles 13 and 19 run down the longitudinal edges of the bay.

A crane bridge 20 is supported above the looms 10 by rails 21, 22. Rails 21, 22 constitute an overhead trackway, and extend above the looms and lengthwise of the rows. Bridge 20 is supported by the tracklway in conventional fashion by trucks 23, 24, and is propelled back and forth over the trackway along the full length of the rows by a conventional reversible propulsion device such as shown in FIGURE l. The propulsion device may comprise a reversible electric traction motor 25 drivingly connected through a drive shaft 26 to a traction wheel 27. Traction Wheel 27 is urged into frictional engagement with rail 21 by a spring 27a (see FIGURE 5). Fixed stops 28, 29 adjacent each end of the rows of looms actuate a reversing linkage, described hereinafter, upon arrival of the crane bridge 20, reversing the direction of rotation of traction motor 25. Thus, bridge 20 travels back and forth along the trackway, alternating between a forward direction of travel A and a reverse direction B (FIGUR-'E l).

Carried by bridge 2()` are a plurality of similar blowingair directing units 30. In the illustrated embodiment, these units are each pendulously suspended from bridge 20. As best seen in FIGURE 5, the suspension may conveniently take the form of pendulous supporting struts 31 extending between the bridge 20 and a main body member 32 of a unit 30. Each strut 31 is pivotally connected at its upper end 33 to bridge 20, and pivoted at its lower end 34 to body member 32 of a unit 30. As seen in FIGURE 2, two struts 31 are provided for each unit 30, one adjacent each end of body member 32. Tthe pivotal connection of the struts 31 to the bridge 20 and to the unit 30 is not unifversal. Rather, it permits free motion of the struts about the pivots in substantially only one plane, i.e., transversely of the rows of looms 11-14. Thus, the blowing units 30 may move back and forth transversely of the rows 11-14 in an oscillatory or reciprocatory path. For convenience, the units will hereinafter be called oscillating units.

-Each unit 30 includes a flexible air conduit 35 connecting the interior of its main body member 32 in air communication with an air manifold 36 carried by bridge 20. A central blower 37, also carried by bridge 20, supplies blowing air to manifold 36. From the manifold 36, the blowing air is conducted through the conduits I to the interior of main tbody member 32 of each unit 30. From there, it is directed against critical areas of the looms in the row beneath the unit by the several tubes of unit 30 which tenminate in nozzle outlets 38. Outlets 38 are conveniently arranged to suit the requirements of particular loom types and setups. Each outlet 38 is semi-flexibly connected to main body 32 as by a .rubber connector 39 so as to permit yielding upon contact with an object or person.

In order to prevent conflicting air currents in the aisles which would occur if each unit .30 'W611i Oslled inde' pendently, means are provided for linking all of the units 30 for synchronized oscillation transversely of the rows of looms. Most conveniently, this linkage comprises a crosslink 40 between each pair of adjacent units. Each crosslink "40 is pivotally connected at one end to a strut 31 supporting one unit 30, and at its other end to a strut 31 supporting an adjacent unit 30. Thus, to oscillate all the units as a single entity, only a single unit need be driven. The others =will Imove in synchronism with it.

The phase relation of the units during their oscillation is established by the nature of their interconnection. The cross-links 40 have the advantage of simplicity and high effectiveness. They establish a suitable phase relation between all the units, and cause the relation to be maintained during oscillation.

In the absence of synchronized substantially in-phase movement of the units 30, the air streams from individual units 30 would occasionally conflict or interfere. For example, whenever unit 30 at the left in FIGURE 2 were in its extreme right position at the same time that the adjacent unit 30 over row 12 were in its extreme left position, the proximal air streams would conict or interfere in the aisle 15, causing lint to boil-up.

It should also be understood that the term substantially parallel in-phase, as used herein, is not limited to exact in-phase operation, but should be construed to cover the synchronized movement of the air streams in such a relation that they are not completely out of phase or in direct conflict or interference with each other.

Drive for effecting oscillation of units 30 can be obtained in several ways. In an embodiment of the oscillation drive illustrated in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5, the means driving bridge 20 along the trackway is utilized to oscillate the units. A cam 44 is fixed to drive shaft 26 for rotation therewith. Cam 44 has upon its surface several high lobes 45, and a corresponding number of detents 46. Pivotally carried at 47 by bridge 20 is a two-armed lever 48. One arm 50 of lever 48 is a cam follower, adapted to follow cam 44. The other arm 51 is a drive arm, and is linked by a connecting rod 52 to a supporting strut 31 of one of the units 30. An expansion spring 53 connected between a bracket 54 of bridge 20 and arm 51 of lever 48 urges arm 50 into continuous contact with the surface of cam 44. Accordingly, as shaft 26 is rotated to travel bridge 20 along the trackway, cam 44 is rotated. Arm 50 follows the contour of cam 44 as it rotates, and lever 48 is thereby rocked about pivot 47. Thus, connecting rod 52 is moved back and forth by arm 51 of lever 48, and imparts the back-and-forth motion to the strut 31 to which it is attached. As a result, all the units 30, being interconnected by cross-links 40, are moved back and forth transversely of the rows of looms during travel of the bridge along the rows. Because of this interconnection, the units are oscillated as a single entity, with their motions being synchronous, parallel and in phase, and related to the speed of travel of the bridge along the trackway.

A modied arrangement of the reciprocating drive for the units 30 is shown in FIGURE 8. A small motor 55 is provided, driving a crank disc 56 having a crank pin 57 eccentric of the motor shaft. A connecting rod 58 connects the crank pin 57 to a wrist pin 59 on arm 51, such that rotation of motor 55 causes synchronous in-phase oscillation of all the units 30 transversely of the row. Bracket 54 and spring 53 are not essential in this modification, but may be retained if desired to dampen lost motion in the linkage.

Provision can be made, if desired, for radial adjustment of crank pin 57 on disc 56, to vary the amplitude of oscillation of the units 30. This could also be readily accomplished by providing for adjustable location of wrist pin 59 on arm 51, as illustrated.

This modification is more compact than the cam arrangement of FIGURE 4. However, it does not give the direct timing of oscillation relative to bridge travel obtained from use of the FIGURE 4 embodiment. It lends itself quite well to control independent of the bridge travel, which characteristic may be usefully employed as shown more fully hereinbelow.

In order to remove lint from the ceiling of the weave room, it is sufcient to periodically blow it with air. To this end, I have provided a plurality of ducts 60. They are carried by bridge (see especially FIGURE 6) and are thus traveled back and forth along the rows of looms. The upper nozzle or outlet portions 61 of ducts 60 are of a conventional air reaction type, freely rotatable relative to the lower duct portions 62. The nozzles 61 and lower duct portions 62 are connected for air communication by an anti-friction joint 63 to permit this rotational freedom. The nozzle 61 is three-dimensionally curved away from the main body of the duct, or suitably vaned to cause it to rotate as the air is emitted from its outlet.

Blowing air for the ducts 60 is supplied through manifold 36 from blower 37,as hereinabove described. Ducts 60 are so spaced that their combined motion enables the air streams from the group of nozzles 61 to completely cover the ceiling area above the bay of looms during one traverse of the bridge therealong.

It is desirable that lint stirred up or blown off the looms by the downwardly directed air streams from the outlets 38 be permitted to settle to the floor for pick up by the suction floor cleaner. Therefore, the apparatus disclosed herein has been arranged to permit such settling without requiring any idle time for the air blower 37, which has been adpted to double duty. A single blower 37 is provided with adequate capacity to furnish at one time all the air needed by the units 30 to remove lint from the looms. Thus, during forward travel of the bridge along the trackway, air from the blower 37 is directed to the units 30. During reverse travel, it is cut off or diverted. This provides adequate time for settlement of lint removed from the loom during forward travel. This otherwise idle period of the blower 37 is preferably utilized by diverting its output away from the blowing units 30 to the ducts 60 and nozzles 61 for ceiling cleaning. By cleaning the looms and the ceiling alternately, the means for producing blowing air can be of a capacity smaller than would be required if both functions were performed simultaneously.

Details of suitable mechanism for accomplishing the foregoing are shown in FIGURES 4 to 8.

Manifold 36 supplies air both to the units 30 (through conduits 35) and to the ducts 60. A reversible damper 64 is provided to make this supply alternate rather than simultaneous. Damper 64 comprises a central body 65 xed to a control shaft 66 by suitable means such as key 69. Suitably secured to body 65, as by welding for eX- ample, are operating arms 67, 68. Hingedly fixed to operating arms 67, 68, respectively, are damper panels 70, 71. When damper panels 70, 71 are in the position illustrated in solid lines in FIGURE 6, air from manifold 36 is blocked from passage through conduit 35 to the unit 30, and is permitted to ow through duct 60. When the damper 64 is reversed by means to be described, panels 70, 71 assume the positions illustrated in broken lines in FIG- URE 6. In this position, air from manifold 36 is blocked from duct 60, and is permitted to flow through conduit 35 to unit 30.

Damper 64 is reversed between these positions by rotation of control shaft 66 through a limited arc. As best seen in FIGURE 4, this rotation is accomplished by a reversing linkage comprising a shifter link 72 keyed to shaft 66. A limit shaft 73 is mounted for sliding lmotion throug-h a suitable bearing 74 carried by bridge 20. Limit shaft 73 has Xed thereto a coupling 75, which is pivotally connected to shifter link 72. When bridge 20 arrives at an end of the trackway, an end of limit shaft 73 strikes a xed stop 28 or 29. One such stop is located near each end of the trackway (see FIGURE 1). Traction motor continues to drive bridge 20 until limit shaft 73 moves relative to the bridge 20 an extent suflicient to trip a toggle switch 76 (see FIGURE 9). The tripping of toggle switch 76, inter alia, reverses motor 25, as described more fully hereinafter. In addition to tripping toggle switch 76, movement of limit shaft 73 also shifts link 72 to its opposite position, thus rotating control shaft 66 and thereby reversing the damper 64. The position of damper 64, being controlled by the position of limit shaft 73, is therefore seen to be related to the direction of travel of bridge 20. While t-he bridge 20 travels forward (direction A, FIGURE 1), damper 64 is positioned such that air is supplied to units 30 and blocked from ducts 60. After limit shaft 73 strikes fixed stop 28, and is thereby shifted, the damper is reversed in position, even as the bridge 20 was reversed in direction of travel by the sa-me occurrence.

Further advantage may be taken of the fact that ceiling cleaning does not require the precision touch necessary in loom cleaning. Therefore, the reverse, ceiling-cleaning portion of the cycle may be much faster than the forward, loom-cleaning portion. To this end, reversible traction motor 25 is preferably of a well-known two-speed type. This type of motor is so wound that a simple throw of a switch changes both its speed and direction of rotation. This is done in a preferred embodiment of this invention with both the speed and the direction of rotation of motor 25 being controlled by the position of limit shaft 73. Motor 25 is shown schematically (FIGURE 9) as having slow speed, forward direction windings 77, and high speed, reverse direction windings 78. During forward travel A (loom-cleaning), the slow speed, forward direction windings 77 are energized. Thus, forward travel of the bridge is relatively slow (e.g., 25 f.p.m.), and the units 30 travel relatively slowly over the rows of looms, directing blowing air against the critical parts of t-he loom while being oscillated transversely of the rows. The combined travel and oscillation of the blowing air currents give excellent lint-removal results. At the end of the forward travel A, limit shaft 73 strikes xed stop 28. Shaft 73 is thereby shifted to its opposite position, shifting the damper 64 and actuating switch 76. This electrically reverses Imotor 25 =by opening the circuit to its windings 77, and energizing its reverse direction, relatively high speed windings 78. Preferably, actuation of switch 76 also opens the power circuit 79 to oscillation drive motor 55. Thus, the bridge 20 is traveled in reverse direction B at a faster pace (e.g., 75 f.p.m.), with nozzles 61 of ducts 60 directing swirling, blowing air against the ceiling overhead of the looms, and with units 30 traveling with t-he bridge, directing no air against the looms, and not oscillating.

The apparatus thus far described gives excellent results in attaining alternate loom cleaning and ceiling cleaning. The lint removed from the loms and from the ceiling by the units 30 and ducts 60, respectively, tends to settle and accumulate in the aisles 15-19, from where it should be removed. T-he mechanism next described efficiently attains this end in effective coordination with the loom and ceiling cleaning.

A suction floor cleaner is carried by bridge 20, and travels therewith along the rows of looms (see FIGURES 1 and 2). The floor cleaner comprises a motor driven suction fan 80 having suction inlets 81 and an outlet 82. Outlet 82 is connected to a lint collecting canister 83, prefably of the type disclosed in Patent No. 3,188,680, which filters the lint from the air and returns the filtered air to t-he roo-m. The lint filtered out of the air is collected in canister 83 for subsequent unloading and disposal. Unloading may be manual or in accordance with my copending application Ser. No. 484,381, led Sept. 1, 1965.

Suction fan 80 generates currents of suction air. These currents are confined in a plurality of elongate flexible suction sleeves 84. Sleeves 84 are carried by bridge 20, and travel with it along the rows of looms. However,

sleeves 84 are located directly above the aisles, rather than above the looms, and reach into close proximity to the oor F of the weave room. Each sleeve terminates adjacent the tloor in an open free end, shown in t-he drawings (especially FIGURE 2) as a suction nozzle S5. Each sleeve 84 is in air communication with suction manifold 86. Thus, lint from the floor F is picked up by the suction currents and channeled through nozzles 85, sleeves 84, manifold 86 and inlets 81, to fan 80, and thence through outlet 82 to canister 83 for collection and disposal.

In the embodiment illustrated, lint is not filtered from the suction air until after the air has passed through the suction fan 80. Therefore, the impeller of fan 80 should be of a material handling type, so that it will not readily clog.

In the embodiment shown, the sleeves 84 lead the units 30 while both are being traveled along the trackway in forward direction A (FIGURE l). While this is not critical, it is an arrangement which has proven reliable, and is preferred.

For most efficiently coordinated operation, it has been found that the suction should be applied at all times. Thus, the suction floor cleaner is operated during both directions of travel of the bridge 20.

The overall operation of a preferred device is therefore this: the bridge 20, carrying units 30, ducts 60, and suction sleeves 84, is traveled along the rows of looms in a forward direction A by motor 25 with its forward.direc tion, slow speed windings 77 energized. The suction floor cleaner is operating. The suction sleeves 84 are in the lead, and remove lint from the floor F ahead of the units 30. Units 30 are arranged above the rows of looms, and are oscillated transversely of the rows by motor 55 (FIG- URE 8). Damper 64 is in the broken-line position of FIGURE 6, so that air from blower 37 is blocked from ducts 60 and is directed by units 30 against their respective rows of looms. The streams of blowing air issuing from outlets 38 of units 30 are traveled along and oscillated transversely of the rows of loolms. All units 30 are linked together, so their oscillations are synchronous and inphase. Accordingly, there is no boil-up generated, since air streams from adjacent units 30 do not simultaneously aifect a common point on loom or lloor, i.e., there is no interference between the air streams.

This condition prevails throughout the forward travel of the bridge 20. When the bridge arrives at the end of the rows of looms, limit shaft 73 strikes fixed stop 28, and is moved relative to the bridge 20. This relative movement 1) shifts damper 64 to the full line position of FIGURE 6; (2) opens the circuit to slow speed, forward direction windings 77 of motor 25 and energizes its reverse, high speed windings 78; and (3) opens the circuit to oscillation driveI motor 55 (FIGURE 9), stopping the oscillation of units 30. Thus. bridge 20 is traveled by traction motor 25 along the trackway in reverse direction B. The reverse travel is at a higher rate of speed than that of the forward travel A. Units 30 are not now oscillated, and air from blower 37 has been diverted away from the units 30 by damper 64 to ducts 60. Nozzles 61 of ducts 60 now direct swirling streams of air from the blower 37 against the weave room ceiling. Currents of suction air from sleeves 84 still function to remove lint from the oor F. This condition prevails until the bridge reaches the other end of the rows of looms, where limit shaft 73 strikes fixed stop 29 and reverts the elements to their forward travel positions. The cycle is then repeated.

FIGURE 9 shows a schematic electrical wiring diagram for the apparatus, much of which has already been mentioned in the preceding description.

Basically, electrical energy is provided through conductors 90, 91, 92 to a master switch 93. Master switch 93 controls all electrical portions of the apparatus. The motors of blower 37 and suction fan 80 are connected in parallel to the conductors 94, 95, 96 just beyond switch 8 93, by power leads 100, 101, 102. These motors accordingly operate whenever master switch 93 is closed.

Electrical energy for the two-speed reversible traction motor 25 is supplied through a multi-pole double throw toggle switch 76. Toggle switch 7-6 also controls the power circuit 79 to oscillation drive motor 55. The position of toggle switch 76 is controlled by the position of limit shaft 73. In the switch position shown in full lines in FIGURE 9, toggle switch 76 completes a circuit from conductors 94, 95, 96, through leads 103, 104, to high speed, reverse direction windings 78 of traction motor 25. In this position, switch 76 also holds open the power circuit 79 to motor 55, and holds open the circuit to slow speed, forward direction windings 77 of traction motor 25. When trave-l of the bridge has progressed to the point where limit shaft 73 strikes fixed stop 29, toggle switch 76 is moved thereby to the position shown in dotted lines. A circuit is then completed from conductors 94, 95, 96, through leads 106, 107, 108, to slow speed, forward direction windings 77 of motor 25, opening the previous circuit to windings 78. Simultaneously, power circuit 79 is completed from conductors 95, 96, through a now closed contact of switch 76, to oscillation drive motor 55. This situation prevails until limit shaft 73 again strikes limit stop 28, actuating switch 76 back to the full line position of FIGURE 9. Thus, the cycle repeats.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention `being dened in the claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for removing lint from looms arranged on a supporting oor in substantially parallel spaced apart rows having aisles therebetween, said apparatus comprising:

blowing-air directing units distributed in transversely spaced relationship above said rows of looms, there being one of said blowing-air units above each row of a pair of adjacent rows of said looms,

travel means for unitarily traveling said blowing-air units along said rows,

each blowing-air unit including at least one outlet for directing a 'blowing-air stream downwardly against at least a portion of a loom in a respective row therebelow to remove lint therefrom, and

means for oscillating the outlets of at least those blowing-air units above adjacent rows transversely of said rows and in substantially synchronous parallel inphase relation during such oscillation, said synchronous parallel in-phase oscillation of said outlets preventing generation of undesired excess air turbulence by preventing substantial interference between air streams issuing from oscillating outlets of those blowing-air units above adjacent rows.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising:

means for producing suction, at least one elongate suction sleeve connected in air communication with the inlet of said means for producing suction and terminating in an open lower end in an aisle and closely adjacent said oor, and

means for traveling said suction sleeve substantially concurrently with said blowing-air units along said rows.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising:

duct means carried by said travel means for directing blowing air against areas overhead of said looms for removing lint therefrom.

4. Apparatus for removing lint from looms arranged on a supporting floor in substantially parallel spaced apart rows having aisles therebetween, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of interconnected blowing-air directing units arranged above and distributed in transversely spaced relationship on a wheeled bridge spanning said rows of looms,

travel means for unitarily traveling said blowing-air units on said bridge in alternating forward and reverse directions along said rows with the extent of travel in each direction being substantially coincident with the length of said rows,

each blowing-air unit including at least one outlet for directing a blowing-air stream downwardly against at least a portion of a loom in a respective row therebelow to remove lint therefrom,

means for substantially synchronously oscillating the outlets of said blowing-air units transversely of said rows and maintaining said outlets in substantial inphase relation during such oscillation, said synchronous in-phase oscillation of said outlets preventing generation of undesired excess air turbulence by preventing substantial interference between air streams issuing from outlets of different blowing-air units,

duct means carried by said bridge for directing blowingair against areas overhead of said looms for removing lint therefrom, and

damper means associated with said blowing-air units and said duct means and positionally related to the direction of said travel such that said damper means is positioned during forward travel to block issuance of blowing air from said duct means, and is positioned during reverse travel to block issuance of blowing-air streams from said blowing-air units, whereby said outlets of said blowing-air units direct streams of blowing air against said looms solely during forward travel along said rows, and said duct means direct blowing air against said overhead areas solely during reverse travel along said rows.

5. Apparatus as in claim y4, wherein said reverse travel is faster than said forward travel.

6. Apparatus as in claim 4, further comprising means carried by said bridge for producing suction, and

at least one elongate suction sleeve connected in air communication with the inlet of said means for producing suction, and terminating in an open lower end in an aisle and closely adjacent said iloor, said suction being maintained in said sleeve during both directions of travel.

7. Apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising means discontinuing oscillation of said outlets during said reverse travel.

8. Apparatus for removing lint from looms arranged on a supporting iloor in substantially parallel spaced apart rows having aisles therebetween, said apparatus comprising:

an overhead trackway extending substantially parallel to said rows and being substantially coterminous therewith,

a crane bridge extending transversely of said rows, and supported above said rows by said trackway for travel therealong,

reversible means for traveling said bridge along substantially the full length of said track-way in alternating forward and reverse directions,

a source of blowing air carried by said bridge,

a plurality of blowing-air directing units carried above said looms by said bridge, said blowing-air units being distributed in transversely spaced relationship across said rows of looms, there being one of said blowingair units above each row of a pair of adjacent rows of said looms,

said blowing-air units being connected for air communication with said source,

each blowing-air unit including at least one outlet for directing a blowing-air stream from said source downwardly against at least a portion of a loom in a respective row therebelow to remove lint therefrom,

and

means for oscillating the outlets of at least those blowing-air units above adjacent rows transversely of said rows and in substantially synchronous parallel inphase relation during such oscillation, said synchronous parallel in-phase oscillation preventing generation of undesired excess air turbulence by preventing substantial interference between air streams issuing from oscillating outlets of those blowing-air units above adjacent rows.

9. Apparatus as in claim 8, further comprising:

means for producing suction and being carried by said bridge, and

a plurality of elongate suction sleeves carried by said bridge for travel therewith, said sleeves being connected in air communication with the inlet of said means for producing suction and terminating in open lower ends in respective ones of said aisles closely adjacent said oor.

10. Apparatus as in claim 8, further comprising:

duct means carried by said bridge for travel therewith and connected for air communication with said source, said duct means directing blowing air from said source against areas overhead of said looms, whereby to remove lint from said overhead areas during travel along said rows.

11. Apparatus as in claim 10, said apparatus further comprising damper means interposed between said source and said blowing-air units and duct means, said damper means being positionally related to the direction of travel of said bridge such that said damper means is positioned during forward travel of said bridge to block air communication between said source and said duct means, and is positioned during reverse travel of said bridge to block air communication between said source and said blowing-air units, whereby the outlets of said blowing-air units direct streams of blowing air against said looms solely during forward travel of said bridge, and said duct means direct blowing air against said overhead areas solely during reverse travel of said bridge.

12. Apparatus as in claim 11, further comprising:

means for producing suction, said means being carried by said bridge, and

a plurality of elongate suction sleeves carried by said bridge for travel therewith, said sleeves being connected in air communication with the inlet of said means for producing suction and terminating in open lower ends in respective ones of said aisles closely adjacent said lloor, with said suction being maintained during both directions of travel of said bridge.

13. Apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising means discontinuing oscillation of said oscillating outlets during said reverse travel of said bridge.

14. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said means for synchronously oscillating the outlets of those blowing-air units above adjacent rows comprises cross-links linking all said outlets for simultaneous actuation, and means moving at least one of said cross-links back and forth transversely of said rows.

1S. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said means moving said cross-links comprises an electric motor carried by said bridge, and a crank driven by said motor and operatively connected to one of said cross-links for moving the same back and forth transversely of said rows.

16. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said means moving said cross-links comprises a two-armed lever pivotally supported by said bridge and a cam driven in time with the travel of said bridge along said trackway, one arm of said lever being operatively connected to one of said cross-links, the other arm of said lever being driven back and forth by said cam, whereby said one cross-link is moved back and forth transversely of said rows by the influence of said cam upon said lever.

17. Apparatus for removing lint from a weave room housing in a row of looms, said apparatus comprising:

means providing a blowing-air stream above said row of looms,

reversible means traveling said blowing-air stream along substantially the full length of said row of looms in alternating forward and reverse directions,

means directing said blowing-air stream downwardly against said row of looms during forward travel therealong, and

means diverting said air stream away from said row and against areas overhead of said row during reverse travel therealong to remove lint from said areas, whereby said air stream removes lint from said looms solely during forward travel along said rows and removes lint frorn said overhead areas solely during reverse travel along said rows.

18. Apparatus as in claim 17, further comprising:

means for producing a localized current of suction air against the floor of said weave room near said row, and

means for traveling said current along said row concurrently with the travel therealong of said air stream during both of said directions of travel, whereby said current removes lint from said floor continuously during both of said directions of travel.

19. Apparatus as in claim 18, wherein said reversible means travels said blowing air streams and said suction current at a higher speed in the reverse direction than in the forward direction.

20. Apparatus for removing lint from looms arranged on a supporting floor in substantially parallel spaced apart rows having aisles therebetween, said apparatus comprising means providing a plurality of downwardly directed blowing air streams in transversely spaced relationship above said rows of looms, there being at least one blowing air stream for each row,

reversible means traveling said blowing air streams concurrently along substantially the full length of said rows of looms in alternating forward and reverse directions,

said reversible means traveling said blowing air streams at a higher speed in the reverse direction than in the forward direction,

means for oscillating said blowing air streams transversely of said loom rows as they travel,

means operable for directing said blowing air streams downwardly to perform a cleaning function on said looms during forward travel and means to prevent said blowing air streams from performing a cleaning function on said looms during travel in the reverse direction,

means for providing a localized current of suction air adacent said lloor in at least one of the aisles between said rows,

means for traveling said suction air concurrently with traveling of said blowing air, and

means operable to cause said suction current to perform a floor cleaning function during both forward and reverse directions of travel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,695,039 11/1954 Holtzclaw 15-312 X 2,812,251 11/1957 Miller et al 15-312 3,011,203 1x2/1961 Holtzclaw 15-312 3,153,803 10/1964 Bahnson 15-312 3,299,463 1/1967 McEachern 15-312 3,304,570 2/1967 Seress et al 15-312 ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner. 

